Page 130 of Bitter Secrets

“You’re sweet.”

He cocked his head to the side. “You don’t think you’re a knockout?”

She let out a strained laugh. “You’ve met my sisters, right?”

“And they never held a candle to you.”

Her smile faltered. She was stunned and more than a little bewildered by the unexpected turn their conversation had taken. She was tempted to pull out her phone to show him recent photos of her sisters, but had a feeling he wouldn’t even look at them. The wordknockouthad never been used to describe her. She had always thought she was passably pretty and nothing special, but the way he was looking at her, as if he was just as confused as she was, made her uncomfortable.

“I…” she began, desperately raking her mind for another topic, but his next words made the words die in her throat.

“What’s life done to you, bebe?”

His gentle tone unraveled her. She held on to her smile as she blinked rapidly to hold back the tears. If she opened her mouth, she was going to lose it. He seemed to understand and grabbed her hands and gave them a light squeeze.

“You came to the right place. Lisbon will heal you,” he declared.

She let out a wet chuckle. “Is that so?”

“Yes, it is. That’s why I came here, and look what it’s done for me.”

He spread his arms wide, so she could take a good look at him.

“You look fabulous,” she said gravely.

“Of course I do. I live in one of the best countries in the world. I have a career and a man that I love. What else do I need?”

Her heart ached. “Absolutely nothing.”

“Life’s hard, and we were born into families who made life even harder.” He picked up her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “But we aren’t going to let that get us down, are we?”

She shook her head. He nodded and gave her hand another kiss and then rubbed it between both of his as if he were trying to warm her.

“After I show you what Lisbon has to offer, I’m going to help you see what I see. Once your eyes are opened, no one will be able to take that away from you.”

* * *

“It’s not funny,”Mo growled as they entered the lobby.

She bit her lip, but one glance at Mo’s disgruntled expression made her burst into laughter again.

“He’s a nightmare to shadow.”

Wasn’t that the truth. Johnny was just as chaotic, endearing, and hilarious as she remembered. He was a rambling monologue of information and observations and had been completely oblivious to Mo and Johan trailing them from place to place. Johnny’s impulsive, split-second decisions to hop on trams, slip in and out of stores, or grab a bite to eat kept Mo and Johan on their toes all day. Johnny managed to lose them without even trying. Watching her guards struggle to keep up with Johnny kept her entertained.

She slumped against the wall as they rode the elevator up to her suite. A day with Johnny is exactly what she needed. He didn’t ask about her life or even what she was doing in Portugal. He included her in his day as if it had been pre-planned, taking her around the city until they went by his studio for his photo shoot. They ended the day watching the sunset on the beach and doing an impromptu shoot with her as the reluctant model, but his wild antics soon had her frolicking on the beach and doing twirls and leaps that weren’t half as graceful as his and had them both in stitches.

She didn’t want the day to end. Only the knowledge that she would see him tomorrow allowed her to part ways with him without crying. Johnny made her feel more herself than she had in years. He didn’t expect anything of her; he was just grateful for her company. He was so accepting of everyone. He treated the server and people they passed in the streets with the same friendly warmth that he did her. She aspired to be as free-spirited and comfortable in her own skin as he was.

Jasmine was in love with Lisbon. She wasn’t sure if it was the food, laidback vibe, grand architecture, or seeing everything through his eyes, but she felt as if she’d come home. How that was possible, she had no idea. After her year was up, should she live abroad? She had nothing tying her to the States. She was so paranoid about the narrative Roth was building and the future consequences, but if she moved to another country, all her worries would cease to exist. The idea had such merit that she skipped into the suite. She was thinking of soaking in the tub, but the sight of their suitcases lined up by the door stopped her in her tracks.

“Roth?” she called.

He appeared in the open doorway leading to the bedroom with his phone in hand. “I was about to call Johan. Where were you?”

“With Johnny.”

He glanced at the dark windows. “All this time?”

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